MY BRILLIANT SUMMER JOB

IN the past many teenagers used to have a Saturday job during term-time and a holiday job in the summer. It could be menial work but was often fun and earned much-needed extra pocket money. That number has more than halved in the past 20 years dropping from 42 per cent to 17 per cent.

LEARNING LIFE SKILLS... Summer jobs for teenagers are less popular than they used to be (Image: Getty)

Some argue that exam-focused teenagers don’t have the time and fear their academic work will suffer if they do fruit picking, waitressing, floor sweeping or shelf stacking.

Many schoolchildren and undergraduates also assume that an unpaid internship will count more on their CVs.

But now Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey says that summer and Saturday jobs prepare young people for successful careers in later life, teaching “soft skills” such as problem solving and time management.

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I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent which is famous for its pottery factories.

During the holidays I got a summer job working at the Minton factory, packing fine china crockery for the likes of Royal Doulton and Wedgwood.

It was destined for all the posh shops in London such as Harrods and Selfridges.

I was 17 years old and earned £44 a week, which I saved up for my gap year during which I went travelling to far-flung places like Singapore.

At the time I went to an all-girls convent school and let’s just say that from working in the factory I learnt everything that a girl needs to know about life – some of which I can’t repeat – and left me with a very broad mind!

In my opinion there’s no better place for getting some real-world life experience than on the shop floor and I’ve encouraged my stepchildren to have summer jobs since.

I think it’s really important for young people to learn how to budget and save up for things.

VANESSA FELTZ Presenter and columnist

Ms Feltz was promoted as a cashier on her second day working at a shoe shop (Image: Getty)

When I was 16 I worked at Barratts shoe shop on Oxford Street, earning about £30 a week.

It was very busy and hot that summer in 1978.

On my second day I got promoted to cashier which I was thrilled about because it meant I didn’t have to lean over to measure anyone’s sweaty feet in the stifling heat.

There was an intimidating manageress who wanted us to always sell a pair of tights or shoe cleaner with the shoes.

At the beginning of each shift she’d say in a booming voice: “Girls, don’t forget to introduce your hose!” which I found very amusing but we would all get into great trouble if we didn’t flog the hosiery.

JENNIFER SELWAY Daily Express columnist

Ms Selway's favourite summer job was working at the theatre (Image: DANIEL LYNCH)

My most exciting summer holiday job was as a scene painter and general dogsbody at the Theatre Royal Windsor.

I was 15 and crazy about the theatre.

Simply walking in via the stage door every morning always gave me a thrill.

Initially my task was painting the flats for a production of Dracula.

They were all black which meant I’d emerge from the workshop looking as though I’d been sent up a chimney.

When Dracula got under way (starring Christopher Cazenove and Gawn Grainger) I was in charge of the dry ice in the scenes when we needed an eerie fog to sweep across the stage.

One evening as the curtain went up I was loitering in the wings, covered in paint as usual.

Christopher Cazenove was about to go on when I noticed to my horror that his… ahem… dress needed adjusting.

He grinned, zipped up and whispered: “You’ve saved my career, darling”, before stepping elegantly on stage.

DOMINIC UTTON Daily Express writer

The long hot summer of 1989 was magical: I was 17, I was living in Manchester (at that time the centre of everything that was cool)… and I spent almost every day of the school holidays working as one of three junior green staff at a posh golf course out in leafy Cheshire.

“Green staff” meant we were responsible for keeping the course in tip-top condition for the players – in reality this translated to six weeks of bombing around on tractors and buggies with my mates Big Andy and Little Derek (no really), working off hangovers with eight hours’ good honest physical exercise every day… and all gloriously set to music by the Good Morning Vietnam soundtrack, played on tape through Derek’s portable boom box.

Mr Utton bombed around on tractors and buggies at his summer job (Image: Toby Hancock)

I think we were only paid £2 an hour or so… but given that translated to £80 cash every Friday night, it seemed a fortune.

And if we needed a few extra quid?

There was always a bit to be made on the side nicking golf balls from the rough to sell back to the club shop after hours.

ANN WIDDECOMBE Columnist and author

I had a few summer jobs but the most interesting one that springs to mind was when I was a student, around 19, and spent my holidays tying knots in sausages at a factory in Farncombe, Surrey.